Meet Margie Figueroa | Founder, Lead Teacher, & Tutoring Business Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Margie Figueroa and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Margie, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
My thought process was pretty simple actually. I am passionate about education and helping others. My business motto and teaching philosophy is basically a combination of those things. I provide personalized educational services with a lot of love, attention to detail, and make every family and child feel valued.

I also wanted to be able to control my own schedule in order to achieve a more balanced life and opening up my own educational services business meant that I would be able to practice what I am passionate about (education and helping others) while at the same time being able to have more time with my husband and children.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Funshine Educational Services (FES) provides personalized learning for children ages 4-11. We provide online tutoring, homeschool help, and parent support. Funshine Educational Services was built from a passion for educating young children and helping others.

Here at FES, we believe that every child should feel valued and we strive to develop positive relationships with our students while building their confidence. We make sure to incorporate their interests and learning preferences into their sessions. We believe that children and families deserve only the best. They deserve to be provided with the best teaching methods. They deserve personalized attention and recognition. They deserve to have fun while learning. We also believe in collaboration. We believe in collaborating with students’ parents and whoever is involved in their education such as their teachers or therapists. Lastly, we believe in celebrating growth and embracing progress. We make sure to recognize every child’s academic progress every step of the way no matter how little and no matter the pace.

About me… I have a degree and several certifications in education, and never would I have imagined that God would have it in His plan for me to become an entrepreneur. I, of course, did not learn how to open a business, manage a business, how to market or sell, etc. in college. I learned how to teach. But when God put it in my heart to open FES, I took the leap of faith and was hopeful and excited. But then, once FES began to grow, and at such a rapid pace, I knew that I had to learn how to manage a business, how to do bookkeeping, how to start build a website, how to utilize email marketing, and I had to learn how to wear all those hats in my business. Knowing how to teach and how to do it well was not enough to continue growing my business. So I watched YouTube and learned. I watched hours and hours of YouTube videos on business taxes, bookkeeping, business bank accounts, email marketing, sales… You name the “how to” business video on YouTube and I’m sure I watched it.

The great thing about taking the leap of faith and dedicating myself to learning about business management was that I already had a lot of the skills to be able to continue providing high quality educational services regardless of my lack of knowledge in managing a business. My experience, skills, and knowledge as an educator, instructional coach, and even a mother were essential to growing my business.

Many people think that just because they are “only a mother” or “only an educator” or “only a (fill in the blank)”, they don’t have the skills or the knowledge to build a successful business. But, let me be the one to tell you, there are so many skills that “only a mother” or “only an educator” or “only a (fill in the blank)” can transfer to building a brand or starting up a business. It’s in you. You just gotta take the leap of faith like I did.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love Miami because it has a variety of things to do, places to eat, and things to experience. One place I would recommend is Wynwood. Wynwood has an amazing food truck event that takes place during the weekend called Smorgasburg Miami. It has amazing food from all over the world and is easy on the pocketbook. While you’re at Wynwood, make sure to stop at Candle Land Miami. This place provides an amazing experience with making your own candle from scratch. You can mix and match your favorite scents and best of all, it is a teacher-guided class so you’re not figuring it all out on your own. I would also check out the Wynwood walls. It’s an amazing street art museum full of giant hand-sprayed murals and so many opportunities to take pictures with the most beautiful art in the city!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to shout out my husband, Kevin! He has been an amazing supporter and partner through every step of the way.

I would also like to thank my friend, Patty! She has been a great friend and encourager throughout my entrepreneurial journey.

Website: www.funshineeducation.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/funshine_edu/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margie-figueroa/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FunshineEducationalServices/

Other: Back to School Guide Freebie- https://www.funshineeducation.com/freebie

Image Credits
Michelle Herrera Photography